Getting out of Dodge
by Firecracker-SJ
Summary: It had been a normal day, right up until They attacked: Decepticons. Now she was hiding in a coffee shop in Chicago with a pregnant waitress and a cranky banker. Warning: strong language, violence and death. Spoilers for Transformers 3. Now COMPLETE.
1. Part 1: The Coffee Shop

**AN: **This is the first part of a planned four part story. I haven't written multi chaptered fic in a long time so we'll see how this goes. I wrote this because I really liked Mikaela in the movies, sure she was mostly there for her looks, but she kicked some ass along the way and I hope this story adds to that. **  
><strong>

Warnings: Spoilers for Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon. Strong language, violence and death.

* * *

><p><strong>Getting out of Dodge<strong>

**Part 1**

For a brief moment she really missed Sam and she wondered just where he was and if he was safe at least. Probably not. But if he was with Bumblebee and Optimus he would be saving the world and that counted for something.

Another mortar hit a building close by and the shock wave of the explosion shook the building they were hiding in. Debris from the ceiling stung in her face and eyes and the waitress next to her whimpered softly. It had been a normal day, right up until They attacked: Decepticons, Mikaela had been on her way to work running late because she couldn't find her keys anywhere. Now she was hiding in a coffee shop with a pregnant waitress and a cranky banker.

She definitely missed Bumblebee and Optimus, hell even Wheelie. She really could use a friendly Autobot right that moment, or the military, she'd even settle for Agent Simmons.

Another hit closer by. This time the impact shattered the glass in the storefront and the waitress next to her let out a wail. "Where not going to make it, are we?" she asked her eyes wild with fright. Mikaela didn't know what to say, so instead she took her hand and squeezed it. The banker hugged his suitcase closer to his chest.

There she sat, hiding behind the counter of a coffee shop in Chicago. No Autobots on her side, no soldiers, she didn't even have a gun. She thought about praying. Surely the good guys would show up, right? Optimus would come and save the day, she was sure of it.

In the distance she heard someone scream before another explosion went of nearby followed by a string of gunfire. The waitress was starting to bruise her hand a little but Mikaela didn't let go.

No Autobots, no soldiers, no gun, no Sam. When it came down to it all she had left was herself. Mikaela took a deep breath and pushed all her thoughts of despair to the back of her mind. Just her, Mikaela Banes, a former car thief and grease monkey.

But that was all she needed. Herself.

"We can't stay here." She spoke up, looking at the waitress first. "We have to get out, out of this shop, out of this city." The bleached blond woman seemed to consider it, fright clear on her face. "How?"

"You're an idiot." The banker exclaimed before Mikaela could respond. "You can't go out there, those things are there."

"We can't stay in here either, _those things_ are blowing up all the buildings around here. They are getting closer. If we stay here we are sitting ducks" Mikaela shot back and to her surprise the waitress agreed.

"She's right."she whispered and then even softer, "do you have a plan?"

Mikaela nodded. It might not be the best plan, but it was the only one she had. The waitress set her jaw determinedly then rubbed her swollen belly. It looked like she made up her mind.

"Let's go then."

They ducked out of the back door which led into an abandoned alley that smelled like garbage and cat pee. Mikaela had to stop herself from retching and she supported the waitress as they made it down the dark alley. Just as they were about to turn a corner into another alley, trying to stay as far away from the main streets as possible, the coffee shop behind them exploded. The blast threw both of them against the wall and small rubble burned Mikaela's hands as she covered her face.

A grunt escaped her lips and for a moment the world turned dark. But Mikaela pushed through the pain and the shock and she turned to the waitress.

"Are you okay?"

The waitress breather heavily and touched her belly again wincing but otherwise seemed alright. She slowly nodded. "Was that ...?"

"The coffee shop? Yes." Mikaela felt sick again, this time because she realized the banker had still been inside. He had to be dead now.

"Fuck." The waitress muttered and Mikaela couldn't have said it any better. They stood there for a few moments collecting their breaths, but they had to keep moving Mikaela told herself. They had to get the hell out of Dodge.

"Come one." She said, putting her arm around the blond waitress, "it's only a few blocks."

They made into another alley that led to a backstreet, Mikaela know exactly where they were, thank god and she started to believe that they were going to make it to the shop.

"What's your name?" the waitress asked out of the blue as they climbed over pieces of buildings and other wreckage. "I'm Cindy and I know, I really look like one."

Mikaela couldn't help but softly laugh at that. "I'm Mikaela."

They had to squeeze past a burn out car and then reached the end of the backstreet, where it opened up unto the main. And there right across the street was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life: the auto shop, their ticket out of Chicago.


	2. Part 2: The Auto Shop

**AN: **Part two of this four part story, so we've crossed the half mark, yay!

Warnings: Spoilers for Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon. Strong language, violence and death.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2: The auto shop.<strong>

She had risked her life a dozen times, facing off against the Decepticons. She had been scared then too of course, cause who wouldn't be when they were up against an enemy that could squash you like a bug or blow you to smithereens.

Mikaela told herself that she had no time to think of the past of bemoan her fate now. She had be strong. She was the hero now and it was her job to get Cindy and herself to safety.

They made it across the street unnoticed and into the alley were the back door of the shop was. It was ajar. Mikaela didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad sign. Maybe some of her coworkers were inside hiding, or maybe something else was. That thought made her shiver and she told Cindy to stay close behind her.

She pushed the heavy door open as softly and carefully as she could and then she slipped inside. The door opened up into the crammed little office were her boss Bo would do all his paperwork and mutter and curse when the numbers didn't add up. Cindy closed the door behind them and Mikaela had to stop herself from thinking about Bo and her other coworkers, because they were probably all gone.

"What now?" Cindy asked in a hushed whisper, still out of breath from their frantic escape from the coffee shop.

Mikaela walked over to Bo's desk and grabbed the keys out of the case they were kept in. "We get a car and we drive like hell."

A sound came from the front of the shop where the service area was and Cindy stumbled away from the door that lead to it. Mikaela's breath caught in her throat and she glanced at Cindy motioning for her to stay put and stay quiet.

Mikaela picked up a hammer that lay on the desk and she almost laughed at herself. What on earth was a hammer going to do if there was a Decepticon out there? Still, it was better then nothing and though she dreaded doing it with every fiber in her body she moved toward the door.

Her breath was raggedy and her palms were sweating. She gripped the hammer tightly. She was the hero, she told herself. She could do this. She was as brave as any Autobot.

Slowly she turned the knob and pushed the door open, looking into the service area with grim determination, ready for anything or anyone. But there were no evil robots. Sitting on the cold concrete floor looking so lost and afraid was a small Hispanic girl, weeping.

Cindy had found a big bag of chips in one of the employee lockers and she was sharing it with the girl while Mikaela was siphoning gas.

She had recognized the girl as one of the coworkers daughter, Miguel. He always showed her picture around proudly, but she couldn't remember the kids name and the little girl wasn't talking. Mikaela couldn't blame her. Who knew what she had seen on her way to the auto shop. She had been crying hysterically, that poor little girl. Luckily Cindy had gotten her to calm down and stop crying and wait quietly for Mikaela to get their car ready.

"How is it looking?" Cindy asked just as Mikaela was putting the last bit of gas into their car. It was an old Ford Escort and while Mikaela would have rather had a monster truck at her disposal, at least she was glad it wasn't a Prius.

"Almost done." She replied, finishing filling her up and then looking under the hood one last time. If she missed a major problem now and it slowed them down on the road, it could end up being catastrophically. But no, she couldn't see anything and so she closed the hood.

Cindy walked up to her and Mikaela could see the fear in her eyes. "Are you sure we are gonna make it?"

"Yes. I rode through a robot infested war zone once and I made it out alive. I can do it again. I promise." That seemed to convince the waitress, but Mikaela hadn't mentioned that she had been driving purposely into danger that time, with an Autobot strapped to the back, instead of riding out of danger.

Cindy put the girl in the backseat and put her seatbelt on, promising the little girl that everything was going to be alright. Then she went and sat in the passenger seat while Mikaela went to open the garage door.

She had risked her life a dozen times, facing off against the Decepticons, but it was so very different now. Back then other people had taken care of her, kept her safe. Now it was her turn.

Mikaela sat down behind the wheel and took a deep breath. Screw the Decpeticons, she thought. She was getting everyone to safety.

She was the hero now.


	3. Part 3: On the Road

**AN: **Part three of this four parter, which means we are almost done. Not sure why I am using the royal we here. This part was a bit tricky, because it contains a lot more action. As always reviews are more then welcome.

Warnings: Spoilers for Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon. Strong language, violence and death.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3: On the road.<strong>

Clear road and clear skies. Clear road and clear skies. Mikaela kept repeating those words in her head like a mantra, is if by wishing it she could make it true. So far their only obstacles had been debris or holes in road, which she had easily maneuvered around.

The girl in the backseat was quiet and Cindy was softly humming a song and cradling her pregnant belly. Their fates were in her hands now and it scared her. She wasn't even sure if this, riding out of the city like a bat out of hell, was even that great of a plan. What if it wasn't just Chicago that had been overrun, what if the Decepticons had managed to take over the world. Mikaela fastened her grip on the steering wheel and steadied her breath. No, she couldn't think like that. Right now, all she had to do, all she could do, was focus on the road, focus on getting the hell out of Chicago. She could worry about all those other things later.

They turned a corner, as fast as Mikaela dared to drive when they heard the explosion. The street they were in filled with dust and rubble, clattered against the car and blocked the view all around them. Mikaela braked hard and Cindy let out a surprised yelp.

"What was that?" Cindy asked but Mikaela shushed her, keeping her eyes fixed on the thick cloud of dust. Her pulse raced as she kept waiting for something to move. Bile rose up from her stomach and she could taste it in the back of her throat.

And there it was. The dust cloud settled and the Decepticon appeared in the sky. Mikaela only get a quick look at it, but it didn't look like any of them she had met. It looked like some kind of drone, the size of a car, but round with two jets sticking out from the side. Red lights flashed over it's body and Mikaela just knew that it had spotted them.

She put the car in reverse and raced out of the street as Cindy screamed and the little girl started crying. Mikaela hit the curb and she put her foot down, racing into another street, faster now then she had before. A flaming car appeared ahead and she only had a second to steer around it. It exploded just as they passed it and the asphalt in front of them get blasted next, once again testing Mikaelas skills as a driver.

"It's chasing us!" Cindy shrieked! "It's firing at us!"

She swerved left and right as her heart beat in her throat, to the rhythm of the Decepticons gun blasts. She was zigzagging on purposed and took as many tight turns as she dared, but it was still on them. Mikaela realized she was going to fast and sooner or later she would make a turn that would topple the car or she would simple not be able to maneuver around another obstacle or maybe the Decepticon would finally hit them. They were fucked.

But suddenly Cindy perked up beside her and she pointed to a left turn up ahead. "Turn left here, do it, now!"

Mikaela had no time to question her and simply did as she was told and she drove into the small alleyway, barely missing the walls. She had to take another left and then a sharp right and to her surprise the alleyway opened up to a huge parking lot with at least a hundred different cars in it.

She glanced into the rear view mirror and couldn't spot the drone. The alleyway was too narrow for it, of course, and it had to go over the buildings, buying them a few seconds head start. They were still speeding down the parking lot when Mikaela realized what she had to do.

She parked the car between a dirty old van and a Chevy pickup and shut the engine off with only moments to spare. The Decepticon appeared over the buildings, heading their way.

"Duck." Mikaela whispered, trying to slide out of view herself. The girl was still crying.

"Honey, hey, look at me, we're going to play hide and seek, yes? And if we hide, the big bad robot cannot find us and we'll be safe. See, just like Mikaela and me. Hide." Cindy whispered to the girl, trying to get her to calm down. "Now take of your belt and hide behind our seats, okay? Don't look out of the window."

To Mikaelas surprise and relieve the girl did as she was told. The Decepticon seemed to have lost them, though he was searching around the huge lot for them.

"What if it recognizes the car?" Cindy whispered, her eyes darting back and forth in terror.

That was probably the least of their concerns, since Mikaela wondered if it had heat vision or heat seeking missiles. In those cases this plan would have meant their death. She watched the Decepticon fly around, the red lights on it's body still flashing. All the adrenaline in her system was causing her heart to beat faster and faster and so hard that she thought she might be having a heart attack. Cindy whimpered beside her.

Suddenly there was a deep hum that vibrated through the air and to her horror a second drone like Decepticon appeared. It flew over to the one that was chasing her and Mikaela had the distinct feeling that they were communicating. And then, just like that, they flew off at high speed.

It was a moment before Mikaela dared to breath again and another before she slowly sat up straight. "I think ..." she had to take a sharp intake of breath to keep her voice from breaking. "I think they're gone." She couldn't quite believe what she was saying. They were gone.

Cindy sat up straight as well and she looked almost green, as if she was going to throw up. "Good." She breathed and she looked at her and said almost apologetically: "because I think my water just broke."


	4. Part 4: In Labor

**AN: **I thought part 3 was hard to jot down, but this one was even more difficult to write. I wanted to tie everything together and end it on a high note and I hope I succeeded with that. I am really strangely proud of myself that I managed to actually finish a multi/chaptered story.**  
><strong>So yeah, this is the end. I hope you all enjoyed this story and if you have, I cannot beg you enough to write a review.

Warnings: Spoilers for Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon. Strong language, violence and death.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4: In labor.<strong>

"Shit, shit, shit." Mikaela muttered under her breath as she steered the car away from another burning wreck.

"Calm down." Cindy warned her, as she stared ahead at the road.

"Me, calm down? I should be telling you that, you're the one giving birth in the middle of a war zone." They were almost free of the city, but somehow Mikaela felt more nervous and anxious then she did before.

"Yeah, but you're the one having a panic attack." Cindy countered, before clutching her stomach in pain.

"Okay, okay." Mikaela said, trying to pull herself back together again. She had already saved them from a fiery death in a coffee shop, fixed and stole a car from her workplace, picked up a mute kid and evaded a deadly Decepticon by playing hide and seek with it that day. Surely she could find some time and energy to deliver a baby as well.

No big deal, right? It happened in movies all the time. Some inexperienced dweeb would help deliver some baby in a time of crisis. You just let the mother squish your hand to mush and told her to push. Except Mikaela was pretty sure that that wasn't how it was done and knew that if she tried to deliver this baby both it and Cindy could get hurt, or even worse.

"We need to get to an hospital or a doctor or something." Mikaela said, stating the obvious. If there were still hospitals, of course. If the Decepticons hadn't taken over the entire world and turned it all into a burning pile of rubble.

"I'd really like that." Cindy winced.

They turned a corner and suddenly there were people up ahead walking on the side of the road. Most of them were covered in dirt, some were clutching their injuries. They passed a man carrying and elderly woman on his back.

"There are more survivors." Cindy gasped and Mikaela knew exactly what she meant by that. Driving through the abandoned city, with so much destruction surrounding them, it was hard not to wonder if they were the only ones. If the entire city wasn't dead. Mikaela was glad to see that that wasn't true.

Driving past the wounded survivors Mikaela wanted to stop and let as many into the car as she could fit, but Cindy started moaning again and to her horror Mikaela saw red stains appear in her lap.

"Cindy, oh god, you're bleeding."

"That's normal right?" The waitress asked, leaning her head back. Her eyes seemed glazed over.

"I don't know." But she was sure that it wasn't. The rest of the survivors could wait, she had to get Cindy to a doctor fast. Mikaela prayed for a miracle, for something to go right that day and it did.

There was a roadblock up ahead and beyond it tents and cars were sprawled, there was even a tank and some choppers. It was the military. They were here. The world was not lost. Relief washed over her and she glanced at Cindy who seemed to just stare blankly ahead.

"Cindy?" she asked carefully, afraid that the waitress would not answer back.

"I love a man in uniform." She replied, smiling tightly and Mikaela let go of the breath she was holding. She drove up to the road block and jumped out of the car. A young soldier, who couldn't have been any older then she was jogged up to her.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" He asked, glancing at her and at the car.

"I need a medic, or someone, I don't..." She realized she was out of breath and shaking."My friend, she's in labor and she's bleeding. I don't know if it's bad."

The soldier stared at her wide eyed for a moment then he turned and ran into a tent that was marked with a red cross. Mikaela went over to the passengerside door and pulled it open, catching Cindy as she stumbled out.

"We're almost there, just hold the little bugger in for one more moment."

Cindy let out a chortled laugh at that, as she clutched at her arms. "Easier said then done, sweetie." She doubled over in pain and squeezed her arms so hard Mikaela was sure she was gonna break her bones.

Then the medics were beside her, supporting Cindy and leading her to the tent. For a moment her eyes met Cindy's and she smiled bravely now and mouthed some words which Mikaela assumed were: thank you. Then they entered the tent, out of sight.

The young soldier was carrying the silent little girl and Mikaela ran up to him.

"Were are you taking her?"

"Into the safe zone, we have food and shelter there. You should come too, it's safer there, you can rest and leave this all behind you." He replied kindly, holding out his free hand.

Mikaela glanced back at her car. She was still shaking from all the adrenaline that soared trough her body. Food. Shelter. Safety. Rest. She couldn't even begin to describe how much she longed for all of that. And yet ... something tugged at her heart. She had done so much that day, but it didn't feel like it had been enough. She had to do more.

"No, you take her, keep her safe. I can't."

No Autobots, no gun, no Sam. But she had car. She, Mikaela Banes, a former car thief and grease monkey. She had risked her life a dozen times already that day. But it wasn't enough. Those people on the side of the road needed her help too.

"I've got work to do." She got back into the car and reversed it, heading back into the fray.


End file.
